Public Spaces

Back in the 1980s, Marty Nightengale of the Nightingale Funeral Home on South Park Avenue was serving as president of the South Buffalo Business Association. As leader of the group, one of his goals was to bring the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra to Cazenovia Park for a special performance. Twenty-five thousand people would later show up for that performance, among them a reporter from The Buffalo News who made a remark to Nightengale, saying “South Buffalo is a very special place.”

GBNRTC encourages community members to attend March 29 workshop to share ideas

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC) is encouraging the community to explore ways to encourage Transit-Oriented Development along the existing Metro Rail line in the City of Buffalo as well as proposed Metro Rail extension to the Northtowns.

“Transit-Oriented Development is gaining momentum across the country as a way to leverage transit investment to enhance access to jobs and education, improve neighborhood connectivity to transit, and encourage community investment and economic development,” said GBNRTC Executive Director Hal Morse.

“Essentially, Transit-Oriented Development provides our region the opportunity to capitalize on the full potential of transit investment to strengthen neighborhoods and bolster the economy,” he added.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced $1.8 million in Conservation Partnership Program grants for 55 nonprofit land trusts across the state. Representatives of the DEC and the Land Trust Alliance unveiled the grantees at an event in Skaneateles, in Onondaga County, in recognition of Earth Week, a weeklong celebration of New York's commitment to protecting our environment, conserving open space, and increasing access to the state's vast and magnificent natural resources. The grants are funded through NYS’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), and the Land Trust Alliance administers the Conservation Partnership Program in coordination with DEC.

For the 6th consecutive year, the Friends of Harmony barbershop chorus and quartets will be performing a holiday concert to benefit the Food Bank of Western New York. The concert begins at 7:00 at the St Martin of Tours church on 1140 Abbott Road in Buffalo. Help feed the hungry in your community and enjoy holiday music performed in beautiful 4 part harmony. For more information, contact (716) 573-5911, visit us on our website at www.friendsofharmony.com or on Facebook by searching for Friends of Harmony.

The Western New York Land Conservancy was recently awarded $50,000 from the Gallogly Family Foundation to help create the Stella Niagara Preserve, a new, publicly accessible nature preserve along the Niagara River in Lewiston, N.Y. The Land Conservancy has now received more than $2.7 million of the more than $3.2 million needed to create the Stella Niagara Preserve. Additional donations from the community are needed soon if the Stella Niagara Preserve is to become a reality.

On Friday, December 5th, at 7:00PM the Friends of Harmony barbershop chorus and quartets will perform a benefit concert at St Martin of Tours Catholic Church on 1140 Abbott Road in Buffalo. A free will offering of cash and/or non-perishable food items will be accepted throughout the performance. All donations will go to the Food Bank of Western New York. Enjoy the sounds of the season in beautiful four part a cappella harmony and share your blessings with others. For more information, go to www.friendsofharmony.com or call Don at (716) 573-5911.

On Saturday, August 2nd at 7:00PM, the Friends of Harmony male a cappella chorus will be performing a free concert on board the USS Little Rock located at the Buffalo Naval Park. The concert will celebrate the 224th birthday of the US Coast Guard. The music will feature songs from the "baby boomer" generation and a special patriotic salute to all of our servicemen and women around the globe. The performance will be under a tent with plenty of seating available. No entrance fees to board the ship and enjoy the concert.